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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Augustine use to illustrate a thing to be used?
(a) A friend who has the special gift to cook a delicious meal.
(b) A delicious meal used to to bring friends together.
(c) A pot for cooking a delicious meal.
(d) Community that develops among friends during a delicious meal.

2. What is the source of teaching Augustine most advocates?
(a) God directing the student to understand His role in Scripture.
(b) Angels guiding human teachers in spiritual communities.
(c) Human teachers in human communities.
(d) Christ dispensing special gifts without communities.

3. What is the doctrine that Augustine claims critics of human teaching defend?
(a) That God will communicate the meaning of Scripture through "special gifts."
(b) That God will communicate through signs and symbols.
(c) That God will communicate through the in dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
(d) That God will communicate through tongues.

4. What does Augustine consider to be the ultimate thing to be enjoyed?
(a) The concept of Christian love as practiced in community.
(b) The things that we can develop from our special gifts.
(c) The things that God places in nature for us to use.
(d) The Trinity of Christianity.

5. Who does Augustine suggest has the ability to know the Truth?
(a) Minds God endowed with special gifts.
(b) All minds joined in community.
(c) Illuminated minds.
(d) All minds.

6. What is the subject that Augustine addresses in Book One and Book Two?
(a) Finding what to learn from Scripture.
(b) Finding a place in a Scriptural community.
(c) Understanding what one should learn from Scripture.
(d) Understanding how to convey Scripture.

7. What is the second important distinction that Augustine makes in Book One?
(a) The distinction between encouraging and exhortation.
(b) The distinction between Christian love and pagan love.
(c) The distinction between things and signs.
(d) The distinction between enjoy and use.

8. What basic fact do the critics discussed in the Preface ignore by discounting teaching from Augustine and others?
(a) The fact that they learned important tools, such as the alphabet, from other humans.
(b) The works of writers closer to the time of the authors of Scripture are frequently incomplete, disjointed, and often unverifiable.
(c) Many writers have intensely studied Scriptures and have left their impressions for their use.
(d) Trial and error application often give non-Christians the opportunity to "mock God."

9. What other subject does Augustine addresses in Book Three and Book Four?
(a) Understanding how scripture develops community.
(b) Understanding how to learn from Scripture.
(c) Understanding how to convey what one learned from Scripture.
(d) Teaching the doctrines of Scripture.

10. When Augustine focuses on one of the types of criticism he expects to receive, what does he suggest to the reader?
(a) That these types of critics are stagnant in their thoughts and threaten to limit the influence of Divine guidance.
(b) That these types of critics are a threat to the true Church.
(c) That these types of critics will either understand Scripture or believe they do.
(d) That these types of critics, if they gather a following around their criticism, are dangerously close to practicing heresy.

11. What does Augustine consider as God's typical means of delivering His illumination?
(a) Using humans to deliver His illumination.
(b) Using the"still quiet moments" to deliver His illumination.
(c) Using adversity to deliver His illumination.
(d) Using nature to deliver His illumination.

12. What items or situations does Augustine use to illustrate his distinction of things?
(a) The relationship between God and Lucifer from the story of Job.
(b) The questions from critics who do not understand and the examples of what is perceived to be special gifts.
(c) The fall of Adam in Genesis and the murder of Able by Cain.
(d) A good meal and a pot.

13. How does Augustine describe humans?
(a) Humans are above things because they use them.
(b) Humans are things that are subject to the laws of God.
(c) Humans are things that can "enjoy," love and "use" things.
(d) Humans are things that use language as a symbol.

14. What setting does Augustine recommend for sound Scriptural learning?
(a) A properly sanctioned site of Scriptural education.
(b) Human communities.
(c) An ecclesiastical structure.
(d) A private audience with a well-trained Priest.

15. What does Augustine identify as the relationship between all other things and the object of ultimate worship?
(a) All other things can be used for God's purposes through the application of special gifts.
(b) All other things are used as a means to enjoy the Trinity.
(c) Other things are intended to be used as a means of exhibiting Christian love.
(d) Other things are intended to be used as a means of exhibiting Christian love.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are the three things that Augustine claims that interpretations of Scripture should build up?

2. According to Augustine, for what reason should one love oneself?

3. What is the main difference between the system of learning that Augustine advocates and that advocated by the critics he focuses on in the Preface?

4. Of these influences on individual thought, which does Augustine claim Scripture teaches are negative to Christian thought?

5. With what prediction does Augustine start "On Christian Doctrine"?

(see the answer keys)

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